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Smart spaces
Products and design tips to help rooms serve more than one purpose
People are getting creative to save space, and sanity, by making rooms, kitchens, pantries, closets, garages and furniture— especially beds—work double duty.
For those faced with a finite amount of square feet, bedrooms can also work as office spaces. Kitchens can serve as both home offices and home office break rooms. Dining and living rooms can convert at night to sleeping spaces.
Not surprisingly, the pandemic kicked off the trend. Kate Lister, the president of Global Workplace Analytics, has forecast that about 25% to 30% of the workforce will be working remotely, for several days a week, by the end of the pandemic. Additionally, according to Statistics Canada, multigenerational households are the fastest-growing households in the country.
“The lockdown made us all realize how important the home environment is. When people have to spend most of their day within the same four walls, it becomes a priority to get the most out of the living space you have and make it as comfortable and functional as possible,” says Hanh Nguyen, a buyer at Costco.
“We’ve seen increases in categories such as wall beds and office furniture,” Costco buyer Anthony Singh tells the Connection. “Instead of spending on vacations, people have been using that money on their homes.”
Make your bed(room)
Wall bed sales are a big part of that trend. As the name implies, wall beds fold up flush to the wall when not in use. Many wall beds now come combined with desks, shelves and storage units.
“Wall beds have the ability to transition a room pretty easily from a sleeping space to a functional place—whether an office, an exercise room, a child’s play space or crafting room,” says Earl Dozier of TGD North American Furniture, a Costco supplier.
Today’s wall beds are safer and easier to operate than older models; they use hydraulic pistons that counterbalance the weight of the mattress and the mattress frame and take less than a minute to raise and lower, Dozier notes.
© jelena zelen / shutterstock
Multi-purposing other rooms
Beyond beds, there are plenty of creative options to maximize your space for remote work, hobbies and guests.
A small rolling cabinet or TV tray can serve as a portable desk, transforming a kitchen, dining room or family room into a workstation, says Diane Summerville, a senior move specialist and owner of New Day Transitions.
“If you’re lucky enough to have a pantry that’s a really nice size, or space underneath a set of stairs, these could always double as an office space,” says Nina Donnelly, owner of Orderly Konduct in Williamsburg, Virginia. You can take over some of the pantry shelves for your laptop and office supplies. Under the steps, you can add lighting and shelves for a cozy space to work.
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Looking outside
You also can expand outside with a she (or he) shed, which can be converted into a studio, office, crafting room or simply a private space to read.
Your garage offers another option for expandable, flexible space, says Costco member Kerrie Kelly, a consultant, author and founder of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab in Northern California. “Garages are no longer just for storing vehicles and toys,” Kelly says. “They can also serve as workshops and casual gathering spaces.”
Put drywall up, paint the walls, put down attractive garage flooring that can be easily cleaned, install garage cabinets, add nice lighting; your next party space is as simple as moving the cars out and opening the garage door, she adds.
Fit your room right
Before you order a wall bed, or any piece of furniture, measure to make sure that it will fit in the room.
“Look at the dimensions,” says Earl Dozier of TGD Furniture, a Costco supplier. “Visualize the size of the bed in a deployed state and up against the wall. Is it going to fit in the space?”
If so, your multi-purpose dream room is one step closer to reality.
Revise your expectations
Give up the idea that you have to maintain a bedroom solely for the purpose of guests, says Diane Summerville of New Day Transitions.
“You don’t have to worry about making your space accommodate someone else,” she says.
That new mindset also goes for other rooms, says Kerrie Kelly of Kerrie Kelly Design Lab. “Once we give clients the permission to remove the official name of the room, like living room or dining room, it allows people to be more playful with their homes and support their lifestyle.”
Costco Connection: Wall beds, inflatable mattresses, daybeds, storage units, sheds and more are available in select Costco warehouses and at Costco.ca.